Bodegas LAN Rioja Crianza `06 $10.99 ***

Comfort food and comfort wine.  That was our evening. I've written a lot about my beloved Tempranillo.  This wine is complex, fruity, brooding and well balanced.  It is a mouthful of flavor, and it is better off balanced with food...fatty food.  JPH knocked it out of the park with home made burgers, stewed onion & peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes and pan fried potatoes.  S. sat down at the table and exclaimed "Comfort Food".

Now for the wine.  This is a rustic wine.  Textured, a lot like the unseasonal (57 degrees outside in January?  Really??) grilled hamburgers that we had .  Juicy, but with a hint of char and full of flavor.  I made a comment about "chewing on a mouth full" of this wine, and I stand by it. Flavor and balance all in one bottle, and for $10.99 - we've had a few of these bottles so far this winter, and it really is a great find.

From Bodgeas LAN 100% Tempranillo, 13.5% ETOH. Rioja is an amazing wine region producing some really nice, inexpensive wines. Thank you.

And as an added bonus, their back label actually teaches us something.  I love the graph telling you when the wine is at its peak.  This may be my favorite label of the year (so far)

cillar ey silos ribera del duero D.O. `03 **** $15.99

This is the best Tempranillo that I have ever had (Maybe it is the rich uncle to all of the cheap and cheerful tempranillo that I have tasted in the past few years?) and it was simply because we didn't know what to open for dinner.  Lurking in the wine rack along with a few other dusty bottles was this `03.  JPH didn't even know where or when it came from.

This dark complex tannic wine mellowed into a deep, rich smooth delicious dark/dried raspberry wine with a high ETOH (14.5%) It makes me want to buy a bunch, leave it in the cellar and be happily surprised in 8 years.

Cillar de Silos of Ribera del Duero, Spain has a reputation for putting out good wine.  This dusty bottle proves it.

It was tight and concentrated on my first sip.  Which made me comment "This needs the Nuance" but I was caught up in making Macaroni and Cheese and the wine had to aerate in the glass and bottle - as S. and I sipped away.    After about 10 minutes, the wine opened up, became smooth and velvety and went perfectly with our Roast Chicken, Fava Beans a la Marcela Hazan and Swiss Style Macaroni and Cheese. 

Bodegas Ramirez Rioja Reserva Ramirez de la Piscina `04 D.O.C $19.99 **** #riojabuzz

I have a well documented love for Tempranillo, and over the years I have acquired a taste for Spain - especially the Rioja Region - this wine is a great ambassador for the country and region.

From the Ramírez de la Piscina Family Bodgea in heart of La Rioja Alta, this Rioja Reserva is a smooth, full bodied tempranillo that is easy to drink and very refined. To compare it with other more rustic Tempranillos, I'd say the subtle chocolate and leather undertones and great balance make it more like a bull fighter than a bar fighter. Elegant and at 13% ETOH, it is restrained, which accounts for a lot - after we polished this off, no headache the next morning.

We had it with pan roasted chicken with mushrooms, home-grown garlic, mushroom & pancetta pasta and sauteed spinach. 
Here is the garlic, straight from TGH's mini farm in Locust Valley: 

Almez Tempranillo `09 (Not TJ's) $7.99 **(*)

This is an interesting tempranillo.  It is juicy/fruity and earthy at the same time with a distinct oakiness that gives it depth and dryness. This is a wine that reminds me of Spring.  There is a light wateriness on the first sip, but as it flows through your mouth, it has an earthy, puckering finish that is bursting. Bright and Brooding - to use industry words.

After aeration with the nuance:  It seemed smoother, but it lost some of the complexity that made it interesting.  This is a solid, complex red wine that says it is Tempranillo, but I feel like there is a blend in there, maybe Merlot.

We had this with JPH's riff on Marcella Hazan's rolled Chicken Breast with parsley, garlic and pancetta; gnocchi with a nutmeg cream Parmesan sauce and fresh asparagus baked with butter and Parmesan.

We've had and liked the Almez Garnacha (I can't wait to make Sangria with it) I think that the Tempranillo is a good addition to the wine rack for nights when you want an interesting Spanish wine.

One morning last month, I looked out the window, and there s/he was.

A single swan,
swimming in the lower pond. 

I was smitten,
and then
I went about feeding him 

(I have decided that 
he is a he 
until proven otherwise).  

S. observed that
he not only swims to me
when I go down by the water
 to feed him,
but he also wags his tail.

He is what I first look for
when I wake up in the morning.

I'll even feed him before
I have had coffee.

He doesn't know it yet,
 but he is my pet swan.

 

La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Tinto `03 (not TJ's) $44.00/$20.00 ****

My 200th Post!  So much has changed in my life since the Christmas Eve when I sat in my dialysis chair and wrote my first review. It s fitting that I started with a Tempranillo. I didn't even know what it was, let alone that it would grow to be one of my favorite varietals.  It is fitting that my 200th be another Tempranillo - but this one was shared with friends, after all, isn't all the BEST wine the wine that you have with friends?

We had dinner in 1974 last night.  Magical, retro, classic Sardi's, an iconic Broadway restaurant that has endured... through the years of Oscar and Hammerstein, through the years of Shrek on Broadway, Sardi's still stands. (and the menu hasn't changed much either! - in a good way) 

S., K., & I sat at the bar while we waited for JPH and the rest of the party (we were 8).  We checked out coats with the coat check girl; then stepped over to the deceptively large Bar, where they serve shelled peanuts and Ritz Crackers with a cheddar spread to accompany your cocktail.  I knew that we were in for a great night when I spread that first glob of cheese product on to a perfect Ritz Cracker. The redjacketed, fresh faced bartender was knowledgeable and he made me my very first "Side Car"; I liked it.  Because my glass was empty well before her trendy pink Cosmopolitan, K. commented "Did that come with a straw?". S. perused the port selection, selected from one of the three bottles offered and sipped her glass as she caught up on the comings and goings of her sister in law. It was a the perfect way to wait for JPH and the ducklings to arrive.

Soon enough, there they were, chilled from the cold of a NYC winter. We were shown to our table. The room was packed with pre-theater crowd out on a Friday night, with caricatures of countless celebrities covering the cranberry walls. I've written before about my indecisiveness when it comes to restaurant wine lists, and I was very appreciative when JPH selected this `03 Tempranillo.

Our waiter doubled as a sommelier and commented on the lightness and versatility of this wine. He poured the first glass and mistakenly, it was mine.  JPH reassured him, "You were right, she's the wine blogger." I sipped. This was the lightest, most ethereal Tempranillo that I have ever had.  It had distinct layers.  The first sip was light, almost watery, and then there was a heaviness of flavor.  Berries and leather with a bit of a burn.  It was 1974. I was on Broadway at Sardi's.  I was half expecting a white staircase to open and a gaggle of showgirls and tuxedoed dancers to descend into the crowd, but instead, the theatrics were left for our dessert.

I sipped my La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Tinto as I nibbled on a roll with fresh butter. Then my starter of Corn Chowder arrived.  It was creamy and delicious.The wine was delicious and was perfect for the occasion and the meal. Interesting enough to drink alone, with a few bites of buttered roll, soft enough not to overcome the creaminess of the corn chowder, but substantial enough to hold up to the Mushroom and Pork that were my main course.

S. had the Sardi's Shrimp.  It was garlicky goodness.  JPH was the rebel in the group.  He started with a glass of the Reserva Tinto, and then when his Crab Cakes arrived, he switched to a delicious glass of  Sauvignon Blanc, I'll admit to sipping the Sauvignon Blanc and thinking that it was delicious and thoroughly enjoying it with the dollop of crab cake he placed on my bread plate. But, by then, the sidecar had kicked in and the two glasses of Tempranillo were fighting their way into my blood stream.  The reviewing was over and the sheer pleasure had begun.

We all had starter portions for meals.  I moved on to Cannelloni au Gratin - a combination of Beef and Pork with Porcini Mushrooms rolled in a French Crepe with Supreme Sauce.  It was good that I didn't have my transplant clinic visit for a few days, after this meal, I had a lot of dietary repenting to do.

We ate, we laughed, we played spot the celebrity picture on the wall.  (MEH sat under Mark Hamill... we had to explain that he was Luke Skywalker... for a moment, I felt old.)

By the time dessert came, we were all enjoying our trip to 1974.  Our meals were finished, the empty bottle had been taken away, and soon, our redjacketed career waiter came to our table with Baked Alaska.  A flaming desert fraught with drama, brandy some good old flames. JPH snuck in an amazingly sweet and pineappley glass of Pacific Rim "Vin de Glaciere" Riesling to end the evening with...but that is for my 201st review!

Here it is, our flaming dessert:

Campo Viejo Tempranillo Reserva `05 $17.99 (Nt TJ's) ***

The scent of pork butt braising in fennel and aromatics makes my mouth water. There is just something about it.  When I wandered into the kitchen, JPH uncorked this bottle.  I grabbed the truffled almonds from the cabinet and the night began.

Maybe it is the pairing.  Maybe it is the fact that this is a BIG, chocolaty, plummy wine that has an undertone of leather.  Maybe because it is so complex yet easy to drink.  Maybe because well seasoned Pork and Tempranillo just work together - or all of the above.

Campo Viejo = old field (with a flashy website). I just want to say thank you to the Spaniards who make this wine and continue to produce those complex, robust flavors that just make me happy. This wine is a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo (also known as Carignan).

I'll leave you with a picture of my dinner: 
Slow roasted pork and roasted potatoes. 

(at some point, the bread and salad made it to my plate,
but by then, I had forgotten all about pictures!)

Aerator Death Match Round ONE: Soiree vs. Vinturi vs. Nuance

Happy New Year!

Tonight, JPH cooked his own "Welcome Home" dinner: Welsh Rarebit and a salad.  He & S took the family out west to ski in the New Year, I stayed at home with the dog, cat and my career.  Tonight, we opened up a bottle of the newly declared "House Wine" Dominio de Eguren Protocolo `08 $7.99 ***(*)

Over the holidays, I received a package in the mail, it was the fabled Nuance Wine Aerator  It has received many acclaims, and well, me being a woman of science, I just had to try it out.  I hauled out the Soiree (which had been relegated to the china closet collecting dust next to an unused mortar and pestle); had the reigning aerator champion Vinturi at the ready... let the Death Match commence!

I am not much of a "hard" science kind of gal.  It may have been the beer that I drank as JPH made dinner, or the first "control" glass that I sipped as S was getting changed from work. By the time we sat down at the table, it was obvious that I need to work on my research protocol.  S. (who joined me in this taste test) remarked that we should be tasting these wines concurrently. (her doctorate really comes in handy!)  I quickly grabbed four more glasses (since we already had polished off  finished the controls) then I poured from each: the Soiree, the Vinturi and then finally, the Nuance.

All three changed the wine for the better.

The Soiree made it light and fruity - more like a Beaujolais than a Tempranillo - ugh, who wants that?  To me, that just made this Tempranillo boring.  Still very easy to drink, but boring. Sorry Soiree, it is looking like a life in the closet for you.

It was down to the Vinturi and the Nuance.  There were subtle changes in the wine.  It retained its depth of character (easy to drink, but with a distinct finish and middle notes of pepper).  But, as was noted from the peanut gallery, the Vinturi was a bit too aggressive in the aeration and the middle notes became muted.

The Nuance is just that, subtle - hahaha, "Nuanced".  There is enough change to know that you have enhanced the wine, but there is enough character not to make the wine boring, it remained true to its rustic Spanish roots.

We the jury find the winner of Round One to be the Nuance.

Of course, the Nuance is the aesthetic favorite as well, You can barely notice it in the picture on the right; it is sleek and stays in the bottle.  But we were not mislead by beauty. The Soiree can stay out of the closet for future competitions, but I have a feeling that it will be shelved in the dark and gathering more dust after all of the competitions have ended. As for the Vinturi?  Well, it is still perched on the sideboard, but it 's title has been threatened.  There is a sleeker, slimmer new model in town.  The vinturi may just be shuddering in it's rubberized stand.  After all, how much training for an Aerator Death Match can a hunk of Lucite do?

More rounds to follow.

Now, just so you get a feel for the atmosphere in which this competition was held.  Unbeknownst to me, JPH had been holding out on me.  He had in his possession a cult film that would make me laugh, cringe, hide my head in shame, yet still yearn for more. Tonight was the night that he and the family introduced me to Air Guitar Nation.  I have been changed.  My world had been rocked, and I have been introduced to one of the most fascinating characters that I have ever watched.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you C. Diddy:

Dominio de Eguren Protocolo `08 $7.99 ***(*)

Today was our first day of snow.  I should have taken a picture from my bedroom window because it really was beautiful to wake up to, but the reality was it just made the driveway slippery and the roads crowded with slow moving traffic. First snow in theory is wonderful.  In practice though,  it is cold, wet and slippery. Especially on a day when you have to go to work and not just gaze through the window at the beautiful scenery.

Enough about snow...

I came home to the lovely waft of a brisket simmering in red wine with celery root, carrots & garlic, fresh bread and potatoes being mashed.  S. had taken a snow day and she cooked! JPH was eager to share his finds at Greenvale Grapes; he showed me two bottles and said "One was $7.99, and the other was $17.99 - you pick." Well, I grabbed the bottle that didn't have Reserva on the label and JPH said "$7.99". So that dear readers is how tonight's blog post was born.

I am partial to Tempranillo. When I poured the first glass and took a sip, I shuddered then ran upstairs to get my camera.  I was thinking that this was a blend, and I didn't think that I would like it.  I was WRONG.  This is a wine that needs to open up.  Five minutes in my glass, and it improved to the point that I now believe that it is 100% tempranillo, and it is a good tempranillo at that.  Not too nuanced, there aren't a lot of leathery or tobacco undertones, it is a good middle weight red table wine that has a dark currant fruitiness and just enough of a threat of oak, pepper and leather that you know that you are drinking something that has character. Wine should be interesting as well as flavorful, and it sure is a bonus that this is $7.99!

After the vinturi, there was a dramatic change.  Aeration changed some for the character into a smooth palatable wine that would be a bonus at any table that likes a dark current, spicy/peppery red wine. This isn't a beginner's wine.  I could imagine that people have bought it, had an unaerated mouthful and said "I hate red wine".  This is where time and taste need to develop a persons palate. I was ready to give up on my first swig, and I love tempranillo.  But I was impatient. I needed to wait and see what this wine developed into after opening the bottle.  Sometimes, you can wait and wait and a bad wine just gets worse.  But in a situation like tonight, a few minutes and a little aeration to polish the edges and we came up a really good everyday Tempranillo.

WARNING.  Drink this the first day you open the bottle.  It does NOT age well after opening. By day three, it was undrinkable, even after being vacuum sealed.

Because this wine responded so well to aeration, in January, we decided to use it Round One of the Aerator Death Match: Pitting the Vinturi, Soiree and Nuance aerators head to head.  (Spoiler: the Nuance won the first round)

This wine deserves me using it's full Spanish name:  Dominio de Eguren Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Protocolo 2008.  From the North East region of  Castile-La Mancha, Spain - the land of Don Quixote.  I'm not delusional (at least not in this case...) This wine is plonk, just like we know that Don Quixote rode full tilt at windmills on a skinny, worn out cart horse, his delusions still are a great story and this plonk is a really good table wine. I wouldn't knock it for being cheap and a little rough around the edges at first, it grows on you... just like Cervantes.

Since I'm not one for Christmas Cards, I'll let the puppy say it for me:

Ribera del duero Convento San Farancisco Crianza `00 (not TJ's) $34.99 ****

I now live in a world of Sunday Night Dinner.  And with a large dinner table comes a large meal and a large delicious wine. This bottle was a fitting addition to our delicious meal. Since this bottle didn't come from my rack, I had a steep learning curve after dinner was done.

This is an older bottle of Tempranillo (90%) and Merlot (10%). From the Ribera del Duero region in Spain. Made by the Bodega Convento San Francisco.  And I also found out that Crianza is a word for aging/maturation (umm, I thought crianza was a type of wine I had never heard about... did I mention that I have a lot to learn?)  Now, enough of me figuring out how to read a wine label... back to the wine:

First sip:  Intense dried fruit taste - dark cherry or dried unsweetened cranberry?  Not tart, but intense.  Mild leather, no finish.  Complex. I liked it.

After vinturi:  Seemed old.  Flat, depth gone. Do NOT decant if you have an old bottle of this wine.  Let its intensity stay put, when you decant it, it is like you are diluting it.  You lose some of the punch that makes it a fun wine to drink.

I think that this wine may have just been a bit past it's peak, but still it was very good. There was some sediment, and I didn't realize that it predominantly Tempranillo (I love Tempranillo) I think that this is a prize fighter of a wine that was close to retirement age.  I do think that it would be a very safe purchase to lay in a couple of bottles from this producer though.

I liked this wine.  I also liked going into the cellar and finding a dusty bottle to bring up for an amazing meal of Roast Elk Tenderloin, Corn Pudding, Roasted potatoes, Sauteed Summer Squash and Zucchini  - but most of all, I liked being surrounded by a diverse group of people who really love each other, but also will debate, tussle, joke and harangue, then sit down for a great meal on a rainy Sunday evening - just because they have that family tradition. In my book, traditions are good and traditions that involve a bottle of wine... well, that is close to perfect.

Rioja Solnia `07 (Not TJ's) $12.99 ***

The conundrum of the week for me was "What to have for dinner on Friday night?" It was just me, the dog and the cat. Hmmm, I was in a rush to get to the house, as the pets needed to be fed and more importantly, let out.  So, no stopping for takeout.  I would raid the larder.

As I drove along, it occurred to me that the very nice cheese lady at the Harlem Fairway had given me a taste of Bianco Sardo, a Spanish cheese.  I liked it so well, I bought some.  Hmmm, that was in the fridge for sure. With Spanish Cheese goes Spanish wine!  Whoohoo.  I knew that the Rioja was just waiting to be opened. (ok, sitting on the rack trying not to be thrown to the floor by an over exuberant octogenarian dog who will stop at nothing to eat the cat's dinner... but I digress.... ) Dinner was: Bianco Sardo; Salami of unknown origin; from the cabinet some french toast rusks of unknown vintage and Rioja Solnia. A nice, quiet Friday night. And yes, the dog tasted some of the salami. I like to share.

This Solnia is old vine Tempranillo, from La Rioja Spain.  I see this as an ok everyday table wine - but there is cheaper and better to be had, hence the two stars (After a glass the next day, I upped it to three stars)- it is all about the price point. It seems "alive" at the first sip.  Not effervescent, but definitely not flat.  It is lively - for lack of a better description.  It smells of tobacco, yet is fruity - Raspberries.  Once again, I love that wine can smell one way and taste totally different. It is a sharp, dry wine.

After the Vinturi: DON'T DECANT IT! The wine became flat, boring and kind of dense.

As I was reading about this wine, I stumbled across another wine blog, I like it.  It is brief and to the point. The Frugal Oenologist  - He bills himself as a "wine curmudgeon" - I love it! (I am partial to curmudgeons)

Update:  I had a glass of this the next day, and the wine got even better.  I originally gave it two stars because of the price, but it really is a solid three star wine.  A good everyday wine that you can be secure in serving.

Urban Ribera Del Duero `07 (not TJ's) $17.99***

100% Tinta Del Pais (Tempranillo).  I have to say that I am partial to Tempranillo. Maybe because Tempranillo is a genetic mutant like me or maybe because this wine has an added level of rough.  If wines were writers, I think that Tempranillo would be Hemingway (Brief, tightly wound, ready to throw a punch and then smoke a cigar). Cabernet would be Shakespeare (Something that too many people are pretentious about, when done right: smooth, melodious, engaging and soul satisfying, when done wrong: grating, annoying and leaves a bad taste in your mouth).

Now to the wine:  This Urban is a nice, complex (meaning that it makes my tongue work to figure out what all the tastes are) and easy to drink .  I should have saved it for a better meal, but I wanted wine and this came the closest in my wine rack for today.  As I drink it, I think of dried cherries and I am imagining drinking this with BBQ Ribs or Chicken.  My next bottle of Tempranillo, I am going to try it with BBQ.


After the Vinturi, much smoother and easier to drink, but with a harsher finish.  It is almost like the wine tricks you, and after decanting it, you take a deep drink, and then BOOM, you taste a kick, and you realize that you should slow down and take smaller sips. I also think that this wine would go well with cheese.

As it is, three stars.  (It is too expensive to be a 4 star wine for me.) I made Shrimp, Chorizo in an onion, red pepper sauce over white rice.

Albero Organic Tempranillo $5.99 ****

It's chili time. Well, Turkey Chili... and red wine goes great with turkey chili (it also goes in the turkey chili). So, this afternoon as I was cooking, I opened the Albero Tempranillo, poured myself a glass and started chopping, sauteeing and sipping. (it is a great way to cook)

The Tempranillo on first sip seems lush. But then as it aerates and warms (it was in my unheated pantry, and it is 16 degrees outside -oops) this wine becomes light and fruity. It has a little bit of a tannin aftertaste, but that just adds a layer of depth to the flavor.

Just like my previous commenter said, Albero puts out a good wine - so far I am 2/2. I really like it, and will be buying more bottles to keep on hand. The minute I sipped it, a lot of ideas came to mind - I could imagine it as the base for an amazing sangria in the summer, I can also imagine it as a nice clean sipping wine with a salad.

Finca Solano Organic Tempranillo $ 5.99 ***

Spring is here and I brought home some lilacs - their scent fills the apartment and makes me very happy. Which put me in the mood to grab a bottle of wine and cook supper.

This is the type of wine, that you open while cooking, you cook, drink, listen to music (JWH) and have a nice Thursday evening.

As I poured my first glass, I realized that I like Spanish wines. This one is a light fruity read. Not too over powering. No tannin. We'll see how it stands up to dinner.

Menu: Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage & Broccoli in a reduced onion sauce.

The wine held up against dinner. Tasted great, and as the evening wore on, the wine opened up and the depth of flavor is more developed - less juice like, more complex. I'm going to buy another bottle and keep it around.

Osborne Solaz `04 *** $3.99

Spain, Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon

I bought this on the recommendation of one of the helpful sales clerks. I'm going to mull it. He said that it was an excellent choice - spicy , not too fruity. I'll let you know what I think...

A few days later...

Ok - I mulled it. Crockpot, spices, sugar and an orange. Should have had some brandy. Oh well. It is a nice wine, and there is some tannin aftertaste - I think that it would have been much nicer just out of the bottle. I should have saved a glass to drink in comparison. I'm learning. Oh - and I have to note - it has a black cork - sacrilege to purists - I know - but cool.

***